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By Region: Middle East

H5N1 bird flu infection may be more common, less deadly, than thought

(Los Angeles Times) The World Health Organization says the H5N1 bird flu kills nearly 60% of people who become infected, but a study released Thursday suggests the true fatality rate may actually be much lower. Virologists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City examined data on blood samples collected from more Read More »

February 24, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South Asia, International, Public Health, and Research
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Publish lethal flu virus work, says WHO

(New Scientist) BATTLES continue over whether or not to publish research in which H5N1 bird flu transmitted readily among mammals. Last week, a group of flu virologists, public health experts from countries where H5N1 circulates, bioethicists and the World Health Organization advised that the work should be published – even though the top US biosecurity Read More »

February 23, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agents & Toxins, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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US ‘very closely’ watching Syrian chemical weapons

(The Associated Press) US intelligence officials in the past have said Syria has conducted biological weapons-related research but have stopped short of saying the country had taken the next step and built bioweapons. The task of securing Syrian President Bashar Assad’s …

February 16, 2012
| Filed under Middle East, North America, Biological Weapons, International, and Policy & Initiatives
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A hinge moment for the BWC?

(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) Although it was an eleventh-hour decision, the Seventh Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) Review Conference in Geneva did manage to produce a consensus final document this past December. As the saying goes, “a win is a win,” and in the end the final document — adopted with less than Read More »

January 31, 2012
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Biological Weapons, International, and Policy & Initiatives
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EGYPT: Anti-bird flu campaign planned

(IRIN) A nationwide campaign to stop the spread of H5N1 avian influenza in Egypt is to be launched by the government in a few weeks, say officials, but details are still sketchy. The new plan, which will involve coordination …